Nairobi County government employees have threatened to hold protest on Wednesday over delayed salries.
The Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) has given City Hall two days to resolve the salary dispute or face mass protests.
More 12,000 employees have not received their April dues after Central Bank transferred Sh1.17 billion from its bank account meant for salaries to Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to settle arrears.
The county has 13,000 workers, whom they pay a total of Sh1.3 billion monthly.
Governor Evans Kidero accused the taxman of colluding with the Central Bank to frustrate his government.
Kidero has termed the move to transfer the funds as politically motivated and aimed at paralysing the county’s operations.
County Secretary Dr. Robert Ayisi had urged to be patient over their delayed April salaries as they look for alternative.He said officials were exploring all avenues, including meeting with Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and taking legal action.
“In the event that our salaries are not paid by Tuesday 5 pm, we shall parade our members at City Hall beginning Wednesday until the salaries are fully paid,” reads the notice signed by branch secretaries Boniface Waweru and Benson Oriaro.
On Saturday, Kidero asked the KRA to refund the money and admitted that he has been restraining the workers from going to the streets.
Two weeks ago, the CBK transferred money from the county’s recurrent account to the taxman to clear part of the more than Sh3 billion owed by the city-county.
The debt, mostly inherited from the now defunct Nairobi city Council, are statutory deductions that the council failed to remit.
Dr. Ayisi said he had also sent out a memo to workers over the delay informing them that the salaries had been delayed “due to unavoidable circumstances”. In the memo, Dr Ayisi says payment will be expedited once a solution is found.
